Back rest for sleds



I l. l l Ey srs May 21, 1929. G. 1 KIER ET AL 13143393 BACK REST FOR sLEDs Filed Febzs, 1927' 2 sheets-sheet 1 G. L. KIER'ET AL BACK REST FOR SLEDS May 21, 1929.

, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 28

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w/ r/VESS' Patented' lVlay 21,' 1929.

,GEORGE LL KIER, or rmLADELPHrA, AND sYLvANIA, Assrenons 'ro s. L. ALLEN vANIA.

`11A-Vina. RICKIE, oF LANSDOWNE, PENN- a co., INC., ,A oonroaArroN or raNNsYI.f

BACK REs'r Foa sLEDs.

Application ined February 28,1927; vserialv No. 171,405.

Among the principal objects of .our invention are to provide a back rest which may be readily attached to or detached from a sled of ordinary construction; which 1s readily adjustable to different widths of sleds and which, when detached from the sled, may be compactly folded for shipment or storage.

Other objects of the invention` are to provide a back rest having the foregoingcharacteristics and which comprises but a relatively small number of parts and these of a construction and design not liable to be damaged or get out of order under the usual conditions of operation to which devices of this character are customarily subjected, which, because of its simplicity, may be readily attached to and removed from the sled by a child `or other inexperienced person and in which those portions so. disposed 'as to be Vinstinctively grasped by the person seated on the sled are preferably constructed of wood or other substantially similar' material as distinguished from metal which latter is extremely cold to the touch under the condif tions of temperature in which sleds are customarily used.

Still further objects of the invention are to provide aY back rest of novel construction which may be manufactured at'relatively low cost and thus sold at retail at a price sufficiently moderate to appeal to the prospectivev purchaser, as well as to provide a back rest embodying various novel features of design, lconstruction and arrangement to which reference is hereinafter more particularly made;

To enable those skilled in the artl to comprehend and practice the invention we have illustrated in the accompanaying drawings and will now proceed to'describe a preferred embodiment thereof, Fig. l being a perspec* tive viewof the back rest positioned on a sled of well known form and F 2 a top plan view of the back rest and sled shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view in end elevation of one of the clamps employed for securing the backrest uprights to the side rails of the sled and F ig. l is a perspectivel view of the clamp removed from the side rail and upright and with the clamping bolt Fig. 5y is a somewhat diagrammatic omitted. composite top plan view designed toillustrate the adjustability of the back rest to different widths of sleds and Fig. 6 is a top planview of the backrest removed Vfrom the sled andA ends of the latter when the back with the parts storage.

rest as attached in Figs. land 2 is of well folded l.fiat for shipment or known construction, comprising runners VR above which are supported cross membersv C through the medium of struts S securedto the` cross members which latrunners and vto the ter serve in turnto support longitudinally extending boards forming the top T of the v sled as well as side railsR which are slightly vspaced laterally from the top and, like the latter, are firmly secured to the cross lmembers. While this particular type of sled is well suited for the attachment of our back rest it is to be understood that the latter if desired may be employed with equal facility upon substantially'any other typev of sled.

In its preferred embodiment and as shown, the .back rest itself comprises, generally speaking, a pair of uprights l, l whose lower ends are respectivelyk adapted for attachment to the side rails ofthe sled conveniently by the clamps hereinafter more particularly de-y scribed; al plurality, conveniently'a pair, vof

substantially U-shaped back supports 2, 3 of somewhat ,flexible material such as relatively thin strips of'steel having their free otally'secured respectively to the uprights lin spaced relation; means for maintaining the` uprights in substantially vertical position,

and means for holding vthe back supports v2y andv 3 in substantially horizontal position when'the back rfestis the sled.

More specifically, -thefree or forward ends of the upper back support 2 may be respectively connected to rights l-by pivots 4 and thefcorresponding ends ,of the back support 3 similarly respectively connecte'd to the centers of the uprights thus, as the lower n 4 rest is in positlon on the sled extend somewhat below theV side rails R, the back support 3, will ybe posi.

tioned about midway between the surface of. the top T and the upper ends of the uprights. As best shown in Figs. 2 and 6 the back supends pivi i n theuprights by pivots 5v which are preferably disposed a little above operatively attached to fr the upper ends-of the upi port 2 lis .somewhat longer thanV the back supc port 3 so that as thev forward ends of the supports are disposed in substantially' the same Vertical plane when on the sled the` center of the support 2 will be somewhat fur-k -f ther to the rear than the corresponding point on the support 3 and the length of the are described by the former somewhatV greater than that described by the latter. This arrangement and disposition et the back sup- A ports is desirable in that it enhances the comfort of the person'sitting on the sled for as the back supports form that portion of the device which is engaged by the back of such person the latter is thus enabled `to lean bach a little instead of being compelled to sit directly upright as would be the case' if the i back supports were both of the saine length.

For maintaining the back supports substantially parallel andin horizontal or approximately horizontal position, we provide a spacing member or brace 6, ypreferably formed of a relatively still and non-flexible piece of flat steel, and pivotally secure the same to the center of the lower back support 3 by means of a rivet 7r in such manner that the lower end 7 of the brace will rest on the top T when the brace is in vertical and the back support 3 in substantially horizontal position. end'of the brace to the upper back support 2 at the center ot the latter, we preferably provide the support with a squared hole 8 adapted for the reception of a bolt 9 correspondingly squared adjacent its head this bolt may be passed rearwardly through the hole,V 8 and a suitably positioned and preferably squared hole near the end of the brace and secured in position by a wing nut 10 on itsV projecting end. Thus when the brace is turned to vertical position and secured to the back rest 2 by means of the bolt, both ot the supports are firmly` held in properly spaced relation with each other and also withthe top of the sled through engagement of the lower end of the brace therewith.

As the thrust exerted on the bach rest by the person occupying the sled is principally exerted against the baclr supports 2 and 3 and would thus pull the uprights 1 toward the rear in the absence of means for resisting it, we respectively attach to the upper end ot' each of the uprights, preferably by means of the pivots el, one end ot' a strut 12 whose opposite en'd is pivotally secured by pivots 13 to the upper end of a short post 14 whose lower or opposite end is adapted to be se` cured to the side rails of the sled by a clamp of similar construction vto that used for scouring the corresponding ends oi the uprights thereto. Preferably each of these posts is considerably shorter than the uprights 1 so that the struts when the back rest is in position on the sled incline forwardly and downwardly from the uprights to the posts as clearly shown in Fig. 1, and as the lower ends of both the uprights and the posts are firmly secured to the rails of the sled, the struts are thus operative to prevent the uprights from being inclined either forward For removably securing thev upperv or back with the result that the whole back rest structure is securely tied together and adapted to atlord adequate support to the occupant of the sled at all times.

As the struts are so disposed as to afford natural hand grips for the personen the sled we prefer to malte them of wood instead ot metal as the former is far less cold to the touch and therefore does not chill the hands to so great an extent when grasped tor an extended period of time.

While any suitable means may be used for detachably securing the uprights and posts to the side rails it we prefer tor that purpose to employ a peculiar form of clainp'which is best illustrated in Figs. 3 and 1l. This clamp, generally designated as 20 and conveniently formed trom a single piece of steel of suitablegage, comprises a rectangular body 21 having a squared hole 22 formed at its center and a lug or flange 23bent outward trom its lower edge. The width of this flange measured at right angles to the body may be somewhat greater than the thickness ot the side rails of the Asled in connection with which the clamp is to be employed and at its outer or tree end is preferably provided with ears 24 spaced apart su'l'hciently to receive between them one of the posts 1d or uprights 1 which are preteral'ily ill ot the saine width. It will be noted from Fig. 3 that the iiange 23 is so directed with respect to the body 21 as to form an obtuse angle therewith which may desirably approximate O although the exact relative angularity between the flange and the body is capable of some variation. The clamp may also be desirably provided with a pair ot laterally spaced ears 25 adjacent the opposite or upper edge of the body; these ears which extend from the same side oit the body the {lange 23 may be inclined at an anele of approximately 450 to the body and areoperative to bite into the wooden sled rail when the clamp is `secured thereto. YFor drawing the clamp into position against the rail and the upright or post, a bolt 26 having a squared portion adjacent its head adapted to cooperate with the squared hole 22 and a threaded portion at its other end adapted to receive a wing nut 27 may be employed, as bestshown in Fig. 3.

When utilizing the clamp to secure one ot the marights or posts to the sled rail R, the up right is lirst placed in Vertical position against the outer face ol' the rail with the flat or widest side of the upright thereagainst. The clamp 20. convenientlv with the bolt 26 pushed tl'ierethrough, is then moved toward the inner face of the rail in such manner tha the tree end of the bolt will pass through a a hole 28 disposed near the lower end of the upright and the ears 25 be brought against the inner iace of the rail with the ears 24 straddling the upright below the bolt. The wing nut is then placed on the projecting end .influence of the tightly the rail at their outer face of the upright, the latter being, if

necessary, moved longitudinally along the.l

rail or turned to approximately vertical position before the wing nut is 'finally set up. When thus secured in place the clamp, by reason of its peculiar conformation, is effective to hold the upright very securely to the rail, the ears biting into the inner face ofthe latterand the fiange 23 exerting, under the drawn bolt, which is positioned substantially midway between the holding points of the clamp, a very powerful outward thrustagainst the lower end of the upright below the bolt which tends to force that portion of the-upright which is above the bolt inwardly against the face of the rail with the result that the connection effected between the upright and the rail is'so f secure that outward pressure on the upper end of the upright is powerfully resisted and will ordinarily result in bending the upright at solne point above the rail before effecting a visible separation between the uprightand point of contact. The use, therefore, of clamping means of the character described forefecting the necessary connection between ythe posts and uprights and the rails materially contributes to the ultimate rigidity of the whole ofthe back rest structure when operatively secured tothe sled. Additionally, as the anges 23 of the clamps are desirably made somewhat wider than the thickness of the average sled rail, the clamps may be used with rails of diderent sizes,

vwhile as the uprights and posts.

are preferably all of the same width, the several clamps may be interchanged, thereby making it unnecessary .to select any particular clamp for use with any particular post or upright when attaching the back rest to the sled.

It is thought that the method of attaching the back rest to the sled will be readily -apparent and that extended reference thereto would be superfluous. It may, however, be noted that owing to the flexibility of the back supports 2 and 3 it is possible to readily attach the back rest rto sleds of different widths as indicated in Fig. 5. From an inspection of said figure it will be apparent that when it is desired to attach the backrest to a sled which is relatively narrow, the pivoted ends of the supports can be forced together from their normal position so as to bring the uprights and posts into proper relation with the side rails of the sled, thus, as shown in full lines, causing the supports to conform to a somewhat sharper curve and to extend further to the rear with respect to the uprights than would normally be the case. In like manner when attaching the back rest to a relatively wide sled the pivote-d ends of the supports can'be forced apart from their normal position, thus. as shown in dotted lines, flattening the curvature of the supports and bringing their centers/more nearly adjacent the .up-`

rights. In consequence, ifin the manufacture of kthe back rest the supports are initially v curved in such manner that their free ends `and in turn the uprights are properly spaced apart fora sled .of average width, the fbackx rest may be readily attached to sleds of greater orless width than the averageby springing .theV supports outwardlyl or inwardlyiin the manner just described, thus relieving the dealer from the necessity of carryinga large number of back rests of different sizes :in order to meet the requirements of his customers and also permitting the owner of a single rest toy selectively attach it to the different "sized sleds which-may be posssseed yby his children in accordance with their different ages;

It should be further noted that .by reason of the pivotal connection between vthe back supports and theuprights, thelike connection between the uprights and posts and the struts and between the brace 6 and the back support 2, the various parts,.when the back rest is removed from the sled, may be folded about their several pivots so as to lie in-a single plane as best shown in Fig. 6, the back rest under such conditionskoccupying asubstantially rectangular space whose dimensions are substantially determined by the dis*- tance between and overall length-of the struts and by the width of the` back supports 2 and 3 or ofthe uprights, whichever may be the greater. In consequence, the back rest may-be very readily packed for shipment Vin'a flat and relatively shallow box occupying but little space `and adapted to cont-ain as -Well the clamps and bolts necessary for the attachment of the back rest tothe sled andwhich are ordi-v narily removed when the yback rest is sent out by the manufacturer. AIn like manner the back rest when detached from the sled may be,v

folded up by the user and stored in a relatively small space or, if desired, Aleft unfolded with the brace 6in position and hung up in a closet or the' like.

It will thus be apparent that we have provided a back rest for a sledwhich is of novel yet simple construction and affords numerous practical advantages not the least of which are its strengthand rigidity when operatively positioned on the sled, its bility'of being utilizedv on sleds of various widths andr finally its ability when detached from the sled to be compactly folded for shipment or storage. t

While we have herein described and illustrated a preferred form of our invention with lightness and capa-y considerable particularitywe do not thereby desire or intend to specifically limitourselves thereto as minor changes may be made in the design, construction and arrangement of the various parts when desired without departing from the spirit Vand scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. 4

AHaving thus described our invention, we

claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent of the United States: Y Y i,

l. A detachable back restV for a sled comprising a pair of uprights respectively adapted for attachment to the side rails ofthe sled, a back support attached to each of said `up'- rights, .a brace relatively movable With rcspect to the back support and adapted when in one position to extend from the `back support to the top of the sled, and a strut attached to each of said uprights, all of said parts being hingedly connected together and adapted to be folded into a single plane when detached'from the sled.

2. A detachable back rest for a sled coinprising a pair of uprights respectively adapt ed for attachment to the side rails of the sled, a substantially U-shaped back support of flexible material pivotally connected at its free ends to said uprights, a brace adapted to extend from the back support to the top of the sled, and a pair of rigid struts respectively pivotally connected. to said uprights .at one end, all of said parts being hingedly connected together to permit their being,` folded into a single plane AWhen detached from the sled, and means carried by each of said struts adjacent its opposite end adapted for connection to a side rail of the sled.

3. A back rest for a Sledcomprising a pair of uprights respectively adapted for att-achinent to the side rails of the sled, a plurality of substantially U-shaped back supports of flexible material each pivotally connected at 1 its ends to said uprights, a brace pivotally connected to the center of one of said supports and adapted to extend therefrom to the top of the sled and to another of the said supports, means for detachably connecting the brace to back supports each pivoted to both of the uprights, a strut pivoted to each of the uprights, and means piovted to, each strut adapted for connection With the side rails of the sled, said means being adapted to be turned into parallelism With said struts and said struts and said back supports being` each adapted to be turned into parallelism with the uprights whereby all the said parts when detached from the sled may be disposed in a single plane.

5. A back rest for a sled comprising a pair of uprights respectively adapted for attachnient to the side rails of a sled, a plurality of flexible U-shaped back supports respectively pivoted to the uprights and adapted to be folded into parallelism therewith, a brace pivoted to the center of one of said supports and adapted to be folded into parallelism therewith or turned at. right angles thereto to extend to another of the supports, a strut pivoted to each of said uprights and adapted to be folded into parallelism therewith, and means pivoted to each strut and capable of being turned into parallelism therewith adapted for connection to the side rails of the sled.

In Witness whereof, We have hereunto set our hands this th day of February, 1927.

GEORGE L. KUER. DAVID R. RICHIE. 

